1
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Yang W, Chen MA, Lee SH, Kang PK. Fluid inertia controls mineral precipitation and clogging in pore to network-scale flows. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2024; 121:e2401318121. [PMID: 38968103 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2401318121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2024] [Accepted: 05/27/2024] [Indexed: 07/07/2024] Open
Abstract
Mineral precipitation caused by fluid mixing presents complex control and predictability challenges in a variety of natural and engineering processes, including carbon mineralization, geothermal energy, and microfluidics. Precipitation dynamics, particularly under the influence of fluid flow, remain poorly understood. Combining microfluidic experiments and three-dimensional reactive transport simulations, we demonstrate that fluid inertia controls mineral precipitation and clogging at flow intersections, even in laminar flows. We observe distinct precipitation regimes as a function of Reynolds number (Re). At low Reynolds numbers (Re < 10), precipitates form a thin, dense layer along the mixing interface, which shuts precipitation off, while at high Reynolds numbers (Re > 50), strong three-dimensional flows significantly enhance precipitation over the entire intersection, resulting in rapid clogging. When injection rates from two inlets are uneven, flow symmetry-breaking leads to unexpected flow bifurcation phenomena, which result in enhanced concurrent precipitation in both downstream channels. Finally, we extend our findings to rough channel networks and demonstrate that the identified inertial effects on precipitation at the intersection scale are also present and even more dramatic at the network scale. This study sheds light on the fundamental mechanisms underlying mixing-induced mineral precipitation and provides a framework for designing and optimizing processes involving mineral precipitation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weipeng Yang
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, College of Science and Engineering, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455
| | - Michael A Chen
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, College of Science and Engineering, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455
| | - Sang Hyun Lee
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, College of Science and Engineering, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455
| | - Peter K Kang
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, College of Science and Engineering, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455
- Saint Anthony Falls Laboratory, College of Science and Engineering, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55414
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2
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Shen S, Liu X, Fan K, Bai H, Li X, Li H. Stabilizing and Accelerating Secondary Flow in Ultralong Spiral Channel for High-Throughput Cell Manipulation. Anal Chem 2024. [PMID: 38954777 DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.4c01549] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/04/2024]
Abstract
Efficient cell manipulation is essential for numerous applications in bioanalysis and medical diagnosis. However, the lack of stability and strength in the secondary flow, coupled with the narrow range of practical throughput, severely restricts the diverse applications. Herein, we present an innovative inertial microfluidic device that employs a spiral channel for high-throughput cell manipulation. Our investigation demonstrates that the regulation of Dean-like secondary flow in the microchannel can be achieved through geometric confinement. Introducing ordered microstructures into the ultralong spiral channel (>90 cm) stabilizes and accelerates the secondary flow among different loops. Consequently, effective manipulation of blood cells within a wide cell throughput range (1.73 × 108 to 1.16 × 109 cells/min) and cancer cells across a broad throughput range (0.5 × 106 to 5 × 107 cells/min) can be achieved. In comparison to previously reported technologies, our engineering approach of stabilizing and accelerating secondary flow offers specific performance for cell manipulation under a wide range of high-throughput manner. This engineered spiral channel would be promising in biomedical analysis, especially when cells need to be focused efficiently on large-volume liquid samples.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shaofei Shen
- Shanxi Key Lab for Modernization of TCVM, College of Life Science, Shanxi Agricultural University, Taiyuan, Shanxi 030000, P. R. China
| | - Xufang Liu
- Shanxi Key Lab for Modernization of TCVM, College of Life Science, Shanxi Agricultural University, Taiyuan, Shanxi 030000, P. R. China
| | - Kuohai Fan
- Shanxi Key Lab for Modernization of TCVM, College of Veterinary Medicine, Shanxi Agricultural University, Taiyuan, Shanxi 030000, P. R. China
| | - Hanjie Bai
- Shanxi Key Lab for Modernization of TCVM, College of Life Science, Shanxi Agricultural University, Taiyuan, Shanxi 030000, P. R. China
| | - Xiaoping Li
- Department of Breast, Jiangmen Central Hospital, Jiangmen, Guangdong 529000, P. R. China
| | - Hongquan Li
- Shanxi Key Lab for Modernization of TCVM, College of Veterinary Medicine, Shanxi Agricultural University, Taiyuan, Shanxi 030000, P. R. China
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3
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Jeon H, Perez CR, Kyung T, Birnbaum ME, Han J. Separation of Activated T Cells Using Multidimensional Double Spiral (MDDS) Inertial Microfluidics for High-Efficiency CAR T Cell Manufacturing. Anal Chem 2024; 96:10780-10790. [PMID: 38889002 DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.4c01981] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/20/2024]
Abstract
This study introduces a T cell enrichment process, capitalizing on the size differences between activated and unactivated T cells to facilitate the isolation of activated, transducible T cells. By employing multidimensional double spiral (MDDS) inertial sorting, our approach aims to remove unactivated or not fully activated T cells post-activation, consequently enhancing the efficiency of chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell manufacturing. Our findings reveal that incorporating a simple, label-free, and continuous MDDS sorting step yields a purer T cell population, exhibiting significantly enhanced viability and CAR-transducibility (with up to 85% removal of unactivated T cells and approximately 80% recovery of activated T cells); we found approximately 2-fold increase in CAR transduction efficiency for a specific sample, escalating from ∼10% to ∼20%, but this efficiency highly depends on the original T cell sample as MDDS sorting would be more effective for samples possessing a higher proportion of unactivated T cells. This new cell separation process could augment the efficiency, yield, and cost-effectiveness of CAR T cell manufacturing, potentially broadening the accessibility of this transformative therapy and contributing to improved patient outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hyungkook Jeon
- Department of Manufacturing Systems and Design Engineering (MSDE), Seoul National University of Science and Technology (SEOULTECH), 232 Gongneung-ro, Nowon-gu, Seoul 01811, Republic of Korea
| | | | | | - Michael E Birnbaum
- Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology (SMART) Centre, Critical Analytics for Manufacturing Personalized-Medicine (CAMP) IRG, 1 CREATE Way, No. 04-13/14 Enterprise Wing, 138602, Singapore
- Ragon Institute of Mass General, MIT, and Harvard, 400 Technology Square, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
| | - Jongyoon Han
- Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology (SMART) Centre, Critical Analytics for Manufacturing Personalized-Medicine (CAMP) IRG, 1 CREATE Way, No. 04-13/14 Enterprise Wing, 138602, Singapore
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4
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Wu B, Liu S, Jiang D, Tang W. High-efficiency extraction of target particles in viscoelastic contraction-expansion microchannels. Electrophoresis 2024; 45:1233-1242. [PMID: 38161241 DOI: 10.1002/elps.202300251] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2023] [Accepted: 12/19/2023] [Indexed: 01/03/2024]
Abstract
The efficient and precise extraction of target particles is a crucial prerequisite for achieving accurate detection and analysis in microfluidic cell analysis. In this study, a symmetrical contraction-expansion microchannel with sheath flow was designed, aiming to extract target larger particles from particles of different sizes within the channel. This paper conducted numerical simulations to investigate the three-dimensional migration mechanisms of particles and performed experimental studies to examine the separation performance of particles with different sizes under varying flow rate ratios and different numbers of contraction-expansion structures. The experimental results indicate that at moderate sample flow rates and higher flow rate ratios, microchannels with fewer contraction-expansion structures are likely to achieve better performance in extracting target particles compared to microchannels with a greater number of these structures. Our work advances the application of viscoelastic contraction-expansion microchannels in particle separation. This device is easy to set up in parallel and significantly enhances throughput, providing an accurate and efficient solution for future particle separation applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bin Wu
- College of Mechanical and Electronic Engineering, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, P. R. China
| | - Shaowei Liu
- College of Mechanical and Electronic Engineering, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, P. R. China
| | - Di Jiang
- College of Mechanical and Electronic Engineering, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, P. R. China
- Jiangsu Yuyue Medical Equipment and Supply Co. Ltd, Danyang, P. R. China
| | - Wenlai Tang
- School of Electrical and Automation Engineering, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of 3D Printing Equipment and Manufacturing, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing, P. R. China
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Minimally Invasive Surgical Instruments and Manufacturing Technology, School of Electromechanically Engineering, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangzhou, P. R. China
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5
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Tanriverdi S, Cruz J, Habibi S, Amini K, Costa M, Lundell F, Mårtensson G, Brandt L, Tammisola O, Russom A. Elasto-inertial focusing and particle migration in high aspect ratio microchannels for high-throughput separation. MICROSYSTEMS & NANOENGINEERING 2024; 10:87. [PMID: 38919163 PMCID: PMC11196675 DOI: 10.1038/s41378-024-00724-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2024] [Revised: 05/07/2024] [Accepted: 05/09/2024] [Indexed: 06/27/2024]
Abstract
The combination of flow elasticity and inertia has emerged as a viable tool for focusing and manipulating particles using microfluidics. Although there is considerable interest in the field of elasto-inertial microfluidics owing to its potential applications, research on particle focusing has been mostly limited to low Reynolds numbers (Re<1), and particle migration toward equilibrium positions has not been extensively examined. In this work, we thoroughly studied particle focusing on the dynamic range of flow rates and particle migration using straight microchannels with a single inlet high aspect ratio. We initially explored several parameters that had an impact on particle focusing, such as the particle size, channel dimensions, concentration of viscoelastic fluid, and flow rate. Our experimental work covered a wide range of dimensionless numbers (0.05 < Reynolds number < 85, 1.5 < Weissenberg number < 3800, 5 < Elasticity number < 470) using 3, 5, 7, and 10 µm particles. Our results showed that the particle size played a dominant role, and by tuning the parameters, particle focusing could be achieved at Reynolds numbers ranging from 0.2 (1 µL/min) to 85 (250 µL/min). Furthermore, we numerically and experimentally studied particle migration and reported differential particle migration for high-resolution separations of 5 µm, 7 µm and 10 µm particles in a sheathless flow at a throughput of 150 µL/min. Our work elucidates the complex particle transport in elasto-inertial flows and has great potential for the development of high-throughput and high-resolution particle separation for biomedical and environmental applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Selim Tanriverdi
- Division of Nanobiotechnology, Department of Protein Science, Science for Life Laboratory, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Solna, 171 65 Sweden
| | - Javier Cruz
- Division of Nanobiotechnology, Department of Protein Science, Science for Life Laboratory, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Solna, 171 65 Sweden
- Division of Microsystems Technology, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Uppsala University, Uppsala, 752 37 Sweden
| | - Shahriar Habibi
- FLOW and SeRC (Swedish e-Science Research Centre), Department of Engineering Mechanics, Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, SE 100 44 Sweden
| | - Kasra Amini
- FLOW and Fluid Physics Laboratory, Department of Engineering Mechanics, Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Martim Costa
- Division of Nanobiotechnology, Department of Protein Science, Science for Life Laboratory, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Solna, 171 65 Sweden
| | - Fredrik Lundell
- FLOW and Fluid Physics Laboratory, Department of Engineering Mechanics, Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden
- Wallenberg Wood Science Center, Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, SE 100 44 Sweden
| | - Gustaf Mårtensson
- Division of Nanobiotechnology, Department of Protein Science, Science for Life Laboratory, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Solna, 171 65 Sweden
| | - Luca Brandt
- FLOW and SeRC (Swedish e-Science Research Centre), Department of Engineering Mechanics, Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, SE 100 44 Sweden
- Department of Energy and Process Engineering, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Trondheim, Norway
| | - Outi Tammisola
- FLOW and SeRC (Swedish e-Science Research Centre), Department of Engineering Mechanics, Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, SE 100 44 Sweden
| | - Aman Russom
- Division of Nanobiotechnology, Department of Protein Science, Science for Life Laboratory, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Solna, 171 65 Sweden
- AIMES Center for the Advancement of Integrated Medical and Engineering Sciences at Karolinska Institutet and KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden
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6
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Fernández-Mateo R, García-Sánchez P, Ramos A, Morgan H. Concentration-polarization electroosmosis for particle fractionation. LAB ON A CHIP 2024; 24:2968-2974. [PMID: 38726642 DOI: 10.1039/d4lc00081a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/29/2024]
Abstract
Concentration-polarization electroosmosis (CPEO) refers to steady-state electroosmotic flows around charged dielectric micro-particles induced by low-frequency AC electric fields. Recently, these flows were shown to cause repulsion of colloidal particles from the wall of a microfluidic channel when an electric field is applied along the length of the channel. In this work, we exploit this mechanism to demonstrate fractionation of micron-sized polystyrene particles and bacteria in a flow-focusing device. The results are in agreement with predictions of the CPEO theory. The ease of implementation of CPEO-based fractionation in microfluidics makes it an ideal candidate for combining with current techniques commonly used to generate particle lift, such as inertial or viscoelastic focusing, requiring no extra fabrication steps other than inserting two electrodes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raúl Fernández-Mateo
- School of Electronics and Computer Science, University of Southampton, Southampton SO17 1BJ, UK.
| | - Pablo García-Sánchez
- Depto. Electrónica y Electromagnetismo, Facultad de Física, Universidad de Sevilla, Avda. Reina Mercedes s/n, 41012, Sevilla, Spain
| | - Antonio Ramos
- Depto. Electrónica y Electromagnetismo, Facultad de Física, Universidad de Sevilla, Avda. Reina Mercedes s/n, 41012, Sevilla, Spain
| | - Hywel Morgan
- School of Electronics and Computer Science, University of Southampton, Southampton SO17 1BJ, UK.
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7
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Shi X, He Q, Tan W, Lu Y, Zhu G. Experiment study on focusing pattern prediction of particles in asymmetric contraction-expansion array channel. Electrophoresis 2024. [PMID: 38794969 DOI: 10.1002/elps.202400042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2024] [Revised: 04/29/2024] [Accepted: 05/02/2024] [Indexed: 05/27/2024]
Abstract
Contraction-expansion array (CEA) microchannel is a typical structure applied on particle/cell manipulation. The prediction of the particle focusing pattern in CEA microchannel is worthwhile to be investigate deeply. Here, we demonstrated a virtual boundary method by flow field analysis and theoretical derivation. The calculating method of the virtual boundary location, related to the Reynolds number (Re) and the structure parameter RW, was proposed. Combining the approximate Poiseuille flow pattern based on the virtual boundary method with the simulation results of Dean flow, the main line pattern and the main/lateral lines pattern were predicted and validated in experiments. The transformation from the main line pattern to the main/lateral lines pattern can be facilitated by increasing Re, decreasing RW , and decreasing α. An empirical formula was derived to characterize the critical condition of the transformation. The virtual boundary method can provide a guidance for asymmetric CEA channel design and contribute to the widespread application of microfluidic particle focusing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin Shi
- School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin, P. R. China
| | | | - Wei Tan
- School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin, P. R. China
| | - Yuwen Lu
- School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin, P. R. China
- Haihe Laboratory of Sustainable Chemical Transformations, Tianjin, P. R. China
| | - Guorui Zhu
- School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin, P. R. China
- Haihe Laboratory of Sustainable Chemical Transformations, Tianjin, P. R. China
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8
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Mane S, Behera A, Hemadri V, Bhand S, Tripathi S. Micropump integrated white blood cell separation platform for detection of chronic granulomatous disease. Mikrochim Acta 2024; 191:295. [PMID: 38700804 DOI: 10.1007/s00604-024-06372-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2024] [Accepted: 04/18/2024] [Indexed: 05/05/2024]
Abstract
White blood cells (WBCs) are robust defenders during antigenic challenges and prime immune cell functioning indicators. High-purity WBC separation is vital for various clinical assays and disease diagnosis. Red blood cells (RBCs) are a major hindrance in WBC separation, constituting 1000 times the WBC population. The study showcases a low-cost micropump integrated microfluidic platform to provide highly purified WBCs for point-of-care testing. An integrated user-friendly microfluidic platform was designed to separate WBCs from finger-prick blood (⁓5 μL), employing an inertial focusing technique. We achieved an efficient WBC separation with 86% WBC purity and 99.99% RBC removal rate in less than 1 min. In addition, the microdevice allows lab-on-chip colorimetric evaluation of chronic granulomatous disease (CGD), a rare genetic disorder affecting globally. The assay duration, straight from separation to disease detection, requires only 20 min. Hence, the proposed microfluidic platform can further be implemented to streamline various clinical procedures involving WBCs in healthcare industries.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sanjay Mane
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, BITS-Pilani, K K Birla Goa Campus, Sankval, Goa, 403726, India
| | - Abhishek Behera
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, BITS-Pilani, K K Birla Goa Campus, Sankval, Goa, 403726, India
| | - Vadiraj Hemadri
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, BITS-Pilani, K K Birla Goa Campus, Sankval, Goa, 403726, India
| | - Sunil Bhand
- Department of Chemistry, BITS-Pilani, K K Birla Goa Campus, Sankval, Goa, 403726, India
| | - Siddhartha Tripathi
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, BITS-Pilani, K K Birla Goa Campus, Sankval, Goa, 403726, India.
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9
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Uddin MR, Chen X. Enhancing cell separation in a hybrid spiral dielectrophoretic microchannel: Numerical insights and optimal operating conditions. Biotechnol Prog 2024; 40:e3437. [PMID: 38289677 DOI: 10.1002/btpr.3437] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2023] [Revised: 12/27/2023] [Accepted: 01/16/2024] [Indexed: 02/01/2024]
Abstract
Reliable separation of circulating tumor cells from blood cells is crucial for early cancer diagnosis and prognosis. Many conventional microfluidic platforms take advantage of the size difference between particles for their separation, which renders them impractical for sorting overlapping-sized cells. To address this concern, a hybrid inertial-dielectrophoretic microfluidic chip is proposed in this work for continuous and single-stage separation of lung cancer cell line A549 cells from white blood cells of overlapping size. The working mechanism of the proposed spiral microchannel embedded with planar interdigitated electrodes is validated against the experimental results. A numerical investigation is carried out over a range of flow conditions and electric field intensity to determine the separation efficiency and migration characteristics of the cell mixture. The results demonstrate the unique capability of the proposed microchannel to achieve high-throughput separation of cells at low applied voltages in both vertical and lateral directions. A significant lateral separation distance between the CTCs and the WBCs has been achieved, which allows for high-resolution and effective separation of cells. The separation resolution can be controlled by adjusting the strength of the applied electric field. Furthermore, the results demonstrate that the lateral separation distance is maximum at a voltage termed the critical voltage, which increases with the increase in the flow rate. The proposed microchannel and the developed technique can provide valuable insight into the development of a tunable and robust medical device for effective and high-throughput separation of cancer cells from the WBCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammed Raihan Uddin
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA
| | - Xiaolin Chen
- School of Engineering and Computer Science, Washington State University, Vancouver, Washington, USA
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10
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Chavez-Pineda OG, Rodriguez-Moncayo R, Gonzalez-Suarez AM, Guevara-Pantoja PE, Maravillas-Montero JL, Garcia-Cordero JL. Portable platform for leukocyte extraction from blood using sheath-free microfluidic DLD. LAB ON A CHIP 2024; 24:2575-2589. [PMID: 38646820 DOI: 10.1039/d4lc00132j] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/23/2024]
Abstract
Leukocyte count is routinely performed for diagnostic purposes and is rapidly emerging as a significant biomarker for a wide array of diseases. Additionally, leukocytes have demonstrated considerable promise in novel cell-based immunotherapies. However, the direct retrieval of leukocytes from whole blood is a significant challenge due to their low abundance compared to erythrocytes. Here, we introduce a microfluidic-based platform that isolates and recovers leukocytes from diluted whole blood in a single step. Our platform utilizes a novel, sheathless method to initially sediment and focus blood cells into a dense stream while flowing through a tubing before entering the microfluidic device. A hexagonal-shaped structure, patterned at the device's inlet, directs all the blood cells against the channel's outer walls. The focused cells are then separated based on their size using the deterministic lateral displacement (DLD) microfluidic technique. We evaluated various parameters that could influence leukocyte separation, including different focusing structures (assessed both computationally and experimentally), the orientation of the tubing-chip interface, the effects of blood sample hematocrit (dilution), and flow rate. Our device demonstrated the ability to isolate leukocytes from diluted blood with a separation efficiency of 100%, a recovery rate of 76%, and a purity of 80%, while maintaining a cell viability of 98%. The device operates for over 30 min at a flow rate of 2 μL min-1. Furthermore, we developed a handheld pressure controller to drive fluid flow, enhancing the operability of our platform outside of central laboratories and enabling near-patient testing. Our platform can be integrated with downstream cell-based assays and analytical methods that require high leukocyte purity (80%), ranging from cell counting to diagnostics and cell culture applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oriana G Chavez-Pineda
- Laboratory of Microtechnologies Applied to Biomedicine (LMAB), Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados (Cinvestav), Monterrey, NL, Mexico
| | - Roberto Rodriguez-Moncayo
- Laboratory of Microtechnologies Applied to Biomedicine (LMAB), Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados (Cinvestav), Monterrey, NL, Mexico
| | - Alan M Gonzalez-Suarez
- Laboratory of Microtechnologies Applied to Biomedicine (LMAB), Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados (Cinvestav), Monterrey, NL, Mexico
| | - Pablo E Guevara-Pantoja
- Laboratory of Microtechnologies Applied to Biomedicine (LMAB), Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados (Cinvestav), Monterrey, NL, Mexico
| | - Jose L Maravillas-Montero
- Red de Apoyo a la Investigación, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México e Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Médicas y Nutrición Salvador Zubirán, Mexico City14080, Mexico
| | - Jose L Garcia-Cordero
- Laboratory of Microtechnologies Applied to Biomedicine (LMAB), Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados (Cinvestav), Monterrey, NL, Mexico
- Institute of Human Biology (IHB), Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Basel, Basel 4058, Switzerland.
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11
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Faramarzi P, Jang W, Oh D, Kim B, Kim JH, You JB. Microfluidic Detection and Analysis of Microplastics Using Surface Nanodroplets. ACS Sens 2024; 9:1489-1498. [PMID: 38440995 DOI: 10.1021/acssensors.3c02627] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/06/2024]
Abstract
Detection of microplastics from water is crucial for various reasons, such as food safety monitoring, monitoring of the fate and transport of microplastics, and development of preventive measures for their occurrence. Currently, microplastics are detected by isolating them using filtration, separation by centrifugation, or membrane filtration, subsequently followed by analysis using well-established analytical methods, such as Raman spectroscopy. However, due to their variability in shape, color, size, and density, isolation using the conventional methods mentioned above is cumbersome and time-consuming. In this work, we show a surface-nanodroplet-decorated microfluidic device for isolation and analysis of small microplastics (diameter of 10 μm) from water. Surface nanodroplets are able to capture nearby microplastics as water flows through the microfluidic device. Using a model microplastic solution, we show that microplastics of various sizes and types can be captured and visualized by using optical and fluorescence microscopy. More importantly, as the surface nanodroplets are pinned on the microfluidic channel, the captured microplastics can also be analyzed using a Raman spectroscope, which enables both physical (i.e., size and shape) and chemical (i.e., type) characterization of microplastics at a single-particle level. The technique shown here can be used as a simple, fast, and economical detection method for small microplastics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paniz Faramarzi
- Department of Energy Convergence and Climate Change, Kyungpook National University, Daegu 41566, Republic of Korea
| | - Wonik Jang
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Kyungpook National University, Daegu 41566, Republic of Korea
| | - Donghyeon Oh
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Kyungpook National University, Daegu 41566, Republic of Korea
| | - Byeunggon Kim
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Kyungpook National University, Daegu 41566, Republic of Korea
| | - Ju Hyeon Kim
- Interface Materials and Chemical Engineering Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology, Daejeon 34114, Republic of Korea
| | - Jae Bem You
- Department of Energy Convergence and Climate Change, Kyungpook National University, Daegu 41566, Republic of Korea
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Kyungpook National University, Daegu 41566, Republic of Korea
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12
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Zhang T, Di Carlo D, Lim CT, Zhou T, Tian G, Tang T, Shen AQ, Li W, Li M, Yang Y, Goda K, Yan R, Lei C, Hosokawa Y, Yalikun Y. Passive microfluidic devices for cell separation. Biotechnol Adv 2024; 71:108317. [PMID: 38220118 DOI: 10.1016/j.biotechadv.2024.108317] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2023] [Revised: 12/27/2023] [Accepted: 01/06/2024] [Indexed: 01/16/2024]
Abstract
The separation of specific cell populations is instrumental in gaining insights into cellular processes, elucidating disease mechanisms, and advancing applications in tissue engineering, regenerative medicine, diagnostics, and cell therapies. Microfluidic methods for cell separation have propelled the field forward, benefitting from miniaturization, advanced fabrication technologies, a profound understanding of fluid dynamics governing particle separation mechanisms, and a surge in interdisciplinary investigations focused on diverse applications. Cell separation methodologies can be categorized according to their underlying separation mechanisms. Passive microfluidic separation systems rely on channel structures and fluidic rheology, obviating the necessity for external force fields to facilitate label-free cell separation. These passive approaches offer a compelling combination of cost-effectiveness and scalability when compared to active methods that depend on external fields to manipulate cells. This review delves into the extensive utilization of passive microfluidic techniques for cell separation, encompassing various strategies such as filtration, sedimentation, adhesion-based techniques, pinched flow fractionation (PFF), deterministic lateral displacement (DLD), inertial microfluidics, hydrophoresis, viscoelastic microfluidics, and hybrid microfluidics. Besides, the review provides an in-depth discussion concerning cell types, separation markers, and the commercialization of these technologies. Subsequently, it outlines the current challenges faced in the field and presents a forward-looking perspective on potential future developments. This work hopes to aid in facilitating the dissemination of knowledge in cell separation, guiding future research, and informing practical applications across diverse scientific disciplines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tianlong Zhang
- College of Mechanical Engineering, Jiangsu University of Science and Technology, Zhenjiang 212100, China
| | - Dino Di Carlo
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Chwee Teck Lim
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117583, Singapore
| | - Tianyuan Zhou
- College of Mechanical Engineering, Jiangsu University of Science and Technology, Zhenjiang 212100, China
| | - Guizhong Tian
- College of Mechanical Engineering, Jiangsu University of Science and Technology, Zhenjiang 212100, China.
| | - Tao Tang
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117583, Singapore
| | - Amy Q Shen
- Micro/Bio/Nanofluidics Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, Onna-son, Okinawa 904-0495, Japan
| | - Weihua Li
- School of Mechanical, Materials, Mechatronic and Biomedical Engineering, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW 2522, Australia
| | - Ming Li
- School of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
| | - Yang Yang
- Institute of Deep-Sea Science and Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Sanya, Hainan 572000, China
| | - Keisuke Goda
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA; Department of Chemistry, University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan; The Institute of Technological Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China
| | - Ruopeng Yan
- The Institute of Technological Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China
| | - Cheng Lei
- The Institute of Technological Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China
| | - Yoichiroh Hosokawa
- Division of Materials Science, Nara Institute of Science and Technology, Nara 630-0192, Japan
| | - Yaxiaer Yalikun
- Division of Materials Science, Nara Institute of Science and Technology, Nara 630-0192, Japan.
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13
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Carvell T, Burgoyne P, Milne L, Campbell JDM, Fraser AR, Bridle H. Human leucocytes processed by fast-rate inertial microfluidics retain conventional functional characteristics. J R Soc Interface 2024; 21:20230572. [PMID: 38442860 PMCID: PMC10914517 DOI: 10.1098/rsif.2023.0572] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2023] [Accepted: 02/01/2024] [Indexed: 03/07/2024] Open
Abstract
The manufacturing of clinical cellular therapies is a complex process frequently requiring manipulation of cells, exchange of buffers and volume reduction. Current manufacturing processes rely on either low throughput open centrifugation-based devices, or expensive closed-process alternatives. Inertial focusing (IF) microfluidic devices offer the potential for high-throughput, inexpensive equipment which can be integrated into a closed system, but to date no IF devices have been approved for use in cell therapy manufacturing, and there is limited evidence for the effects that IF processing has on human cells. The IF device described in this study was designed to simultaneously separate leucocytes, perform buffer exchange and provide a volume reduction to the cell suspension, using high flow rates with high Reynolds numbers. The performance and effects of the IF device were characterized using peripheral blood mononuclear cells and isolated monocytes. Post-processing cell effects were investigated using multi-parameter flow cytometry to track cell viability, functional changes and fate. The IF device was highly efficient at separating CD14+ monocytes (approx. 97% to one outlet, approx. 60% buffer exchange, 15 ml min-1) and leucocyte processing was well tolerated with no significant differences in downstream viability, immunophenotype or metabolic activity when compared with leucocytes processed with conventional processing techniques. This detailed approach provides robust evidence that IF devices could offer significant benefits to clinical cell therapy manufacture.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tom Carvell
- Institute of Biological Chemistry, Biophysics and Bioengineering, School of Engineering and Physical Sciences, Heriot-Watt University, Heriot-Watt Research Park, Edinburgh EH14 4AS, UK
| | - Paul Burgoyne
- Tissues, Cells and Advanced Therapeutics, Jack Copland Centre, Scottish National Blood Transfusion Service, Research Avenue North, Heriot-Watt Research Park, Edinburgh EH14 4BE, UK
| | - Laura Milne
- Tissues, Cells and Advanced Therapeutics, Jack Copland Centre, Scottish National Blood Transfusion Service, Research Avenue North, Heriot-Watt Research Park, Edinburgh EH14 4BE, UK
| | - John D. M. Campbell
- Tissues, Cells and Advanced Therapeutics, Jack Copland Centre, Scottish National Blood Transfusion Service, Research Avenue North, Heriot-Watt Research Park, Edinburgh EH14 4BE, UK
| | - Alasdair R. Fraser
- Tissues, Cells and Advanced Therapeutics, Jack Copland Centre, Scottish National Blood Transfusion Service, Research Avenue North, Heriot-Watt Research Park, Edinburgh EH14 4BE, UK
| | - Helen Bridle
- Institute of Biological Chemistry, Biophysics and Bioengineering, School of Engineering and Physical Sciences, Heriot-Watt University, Heriot-Watt Research Park, Edinburgh EH14 4AS, UK
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14
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Leong SY, Lok WW, Goh KY, Ong HB, Tay HM, Su C, Kong F, Upadya M, Wang W, Radnaa E, Menon R, Dao M, Dalan R, Suresh S, Lim DWT, Hou HW. High-Throughput Microfluidic Extraction of Platelet-free Plasma for MicroRNA and Extracellular Vesicle Analysis. ACS NANO 2024; 18:6623-6637. [PMID: 38348825 DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.3c12862] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/28/2024]
Abstract
Cell-free RNAs and extracellular vesicles (EVs) are valuable biomarkers in liquid biopsies, but they are prone to preanalytical variabilities such as nonstandardized centrifugation or ex vivo blood degradation. Herein, we report a high-throughput and label-free inertial microfluidic device (ExoArc) for isolation of platelet-free plasma from blood for RNA and EV analysis. Unlike conventional inertial microfluidic devices widely used for cell sorting, a submicrometer size cutoff (500 nm) was achieved which completely removed all leukocytes, RBCs, platelets, and cellular debris based on differential lateral migration induced by Dean vortices. The single-step operation also reduced platelet-associated miRNAs (∼2-fold) compared to centrifugation. We clinically validated ExoArc for plasma miRNA profiling (39 samples) and identified a 7-miRNA panel that detects non-small cell lung cancer with ∼90% sensitivity. ExoArc was also coupled with size exclusion chromatography (SEC) to isolate EVs within 50 min with ∼10-fold higher yield than ultracentrifugation. As a proof-of-concept for EV-based transcriptomics analysis, we performed miRNA analysis in healthy and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) subjects (n = 3 per group) by coupling ExoArc and ExoArc+SEC with quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) assay. Among 293 miRNAs detected, plasmas and EVs showed distinct differentially expressed miRNAs in T2DM subjects. We further demonstrated automated in-line EV sorting from low volume culture media for continuous EV monitoring. Overall, the developed ExoArc offers a convenient centrifugation-free workflow to automate plasma and EV isolation for point-of-care diagnostics and quality control in EV manufacturing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sheng Yuan Leong
- School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore 639798
| | - Wan Wei Lok
- School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore 639798
| | - Kah Yee Goh
- Division of Medical Oncology, National Cancer Centre Singapore, Singapore 168583
| | - Hong Boon Ong
- School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore 639798
| | - Hui Min Tay
- School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore 639798
| | - Chengxun Su
- School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore 639798
| | - Fang Kong
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore 637551
| | - Megha Upadya
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore 637551
| | - Wei Wang
- Singapore Institute of Manufacturing Technology (SIMTech), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore 138634
| | - Enkhtuya Radnaa
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, Galveston, Texas 77555-1062, United States
| | - Ramkumar Menon
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, Galveston, Texas 77555-1062, United States
| | - Ming Dao
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore 637551
- Department of Material Science and Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
| | - Rinkoo Dalan
- Endocrine and Diabetes, Tan Tock Seng Hospital, Singapore 308433
- Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore 308232
| | - Subra Suresh
- Department of Material Science and Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
- School of Material Science and Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore 639798
| | - Darren Wan-Teck Lim
- Division of Medical Oncology, National Cancer Centre Singapore, Singapore 168583
- Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore 138673
- Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore 169857
| | - Han Wei Hou
- School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore 639798
- Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore 308232
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15
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Shen S, Zhao L, Bai H, Zhang Y, Niu Y, Tian C, Chan H. Spiral Large-Dimension Microfluidic Channel for Flow-Rate- and Particle-Size-Insensitive Focusing by the Stabilization and Acceleration of Secondary Flow. Anal Chem 2024; 96:1750-1758. [PMID: 38215439 DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.3c04897] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/14/2024]
Abstract
Inertial microfluidics has demonstrated its ability to focus particles in a passive and straightforward manner. However, achieving flow-rate- and particle-size-insensitive focusing in large-dimension channels with a simple design remains challenging. In this study, we developed a spiral microfluidic with a large-dimension channel to achieve inertial focusing. By designing a unique "big buffering area" and a "small buffering area" in the spiral microchannel, we observed the stabilization and acceleration of secondary flow. Our optimized design allowed for efficient (>99.9%) focusing of 15 μm particles within a wide range of flow rates (0.5-4.5 mL/min) during a long operation duration (0-60 min). Additionally, we achieved effective (>95%) focusing of different-sized particles (7, 10, 15, and 30 μm) and three types of tumor cells (K562, HeLa, and MCF-7) near the inner wall of the 1 mm wide outlet when applying different flow rates (1-3 mL/min). Finally, successful 3D cell focusing was achieved within an optimized device, with the cells positioned at a distance of 50 μm from the wall. Our strategy of stabilizing and accelerating Dean-like secondary flow through the unique configuration of a "big buffering area" and a "small buffering area" proved to be highly effective in achieving inertial focusing that is insensitive to the flow rate and particle size, particularly in large-dimension channels. Consequently, it shows great potential for use in hand-operated microfluidic tools for flow cytometry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shaofei Shen
- Shanxi Key Lab for Modernization of TCVM, College of Life Science, Shanxi Agricultural University, Taiyuan 030000, Shanxi, P. R. China
| | - Lei Zhao
- School of Life Science and Technology, Xidian University, Xi'an 710126, Shaanxi, P. R. China
| | - Hanjie Bai
- Shanxi Key Lab for Modernization of TCVM, College of Life Science, Shanxi Agricultural University, Taiyuan 030000, Shanxi, P. R. China
| | - Yali Zhang
- Shanxi Key Lab for Modernization of TCVM, College of Life Science, Shanxi Agricultural University, Taiyuan 030000, Shanxi, P. R. China
| | - Yanbing Niu
- Shanxi Key Lab for Modernization of TCVM, College of Life Science, Shanxi Agricultural University, Taiyuan 030000, Shanxi, P. R. China
| | - Chang Tian
- School of Medicine, Anhui University of Science and Technology, Huainan 232001, Anhui, P. R. China
| | - Henryk Chan
- Department of Automatic Control and Systems Engineering, The University of Sheffield, Sheffield S10 2TN, U.K
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16
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Aslan MK, Meng Y, Zhang Y, Weiss T, Stavrakis S, deMello AJ. Ultrahigh-Throughput, Real-Time Flow Cytometry for Rare Cell Quantification from Whole Blood. ACS Sens 2024; 9:474-482. [PMID: 38171016 DOI: 10.1021/acssensors.3c02268] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2024]
Abstract
We present an ultrahigh-throughput, real-time fluorescence cytometer comprising a viscoelastic microfluidic system and a complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) linear image sensor-based detection system. The flow cytometer allows for real-time quantification of a variety of fluorescence species, including micrometer-sized particles and cells, at analytical throughputs in excess of 400,000 species per second. The platform integrates a custom C++ control program and graphical user interface (GUI) to allow for the processing of raw signals, adjustment of processing parameters, and display of fluorescence intensity histograms in real time. To demonstrate the efficacy of the platform for rare event detection and its utility as a basic clinical tool, we measure and quantify patient-derived circulating tumor cells (CTCs) in peripheral blood, realizing that detection has a sensitivity of 6 CTCs per million blood cells (0.000006%) with a volumetric throughput of over 3 mL/min.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mahmut Kamil Aslan
- Institute for Chemical and Bioengineering, Department of Chemistry and Applied Biosciences, ETH Zürich, Vladimir-Prelog-Weg 1, Zürich 8093, Switzerland
| | - Yingchao Meng
- Institute for Chemical and Bioengineering, Department of Chemistry and Applied Biosciences, ETH Zürich, Vladimir-Prelog-Weg 1, Zürich 8093, Switzerland
| | - Yanan Zhang
- Department of Neurology, University Hospital Zürich, 8091 Zürich, Switzerland
- Clinical Neuroscience Center, University of Zürich, 8091 Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Tobias Weiss
- Department of Neurology, University Hospital Zürich, 8091 Zürich, Switzerland
- Clinical Neuroscience Center, University of Zürich, 8091 Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Stavros Stavrakis
- Institute for Chemical and Bioengineering, Department of Chemistry and Applied Biosciences, ETH Zürich, Vladimir-Prelog-Weg 1, Zürich 8093, Switzerland
| | - Andrew J deMello
- Institute for Chemical and Bioengineering, Department of Chemistry and Applied Biosciences, ETH Zürich, Vladimir-Prelog-Weg 1, Zürich 8093, Switzerland
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17
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Kato S, Carlson DW, Shen AQ, Guo Y. Twisted fiber microfluidics: a cutting-edge approach to 3D spiral devices. MICROSYSTEMS & NANOENGINEERING 2024; 10:14. [PMID: 38259519 PMCID: PMC10800335 DOI: 10.1038/s41378-023-00642-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2023] [Revised: 10/24/2023] [Accepted: 11/14/2023] [Indexed: 01/24/2024]
Abstract
The development of 3D spiral microfluidics has opened new avenues for leveraging inertial focusing to analyze small fluid volumes, thereby advancing research across chemical, physical, and biological disciplines. While traditional straight microchannels rely solely on inertial lift forces, the novel spiral geometry generates Dean drag forces, eliminating the necessity for external fields in fluid manipulation. Nevertheless, fabricating 3D spiral microfluidics remains a labor-intensive and costly endeavor, hindering its widespread adoption. Moreover, conventional lithographic methods primarily yield 2D planar devices, thereby limiting the selection of materials and geometrical configurations. To address these challenges, this work introduces a streamlined fabrication method for 3D spiral microfluidic devices, employing rotational force within a miniaturized thermal drawing process, termed as mini-rTDP. This innovation allows for rapid prototyping of twisted fiber-based microfluidics featuring versatility in material selection and heightened geometric intricacy. To validate the performance of these devices, we combined computational modeling with microtomographic particle image velocimetry (μTPIV) to comprehensively characterize the 3D flow dynamics. Our results corroborate the presence of a steady secondary flow, underscoring the effectiveness of our approach. Our 3D spiral microfluidics platform paves the way for exploring intricate microflow dynamics, with promising applications in areas such as drug delivery, diagnostics, and lab-on-a-chip systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shunsuke Kato
- Department of Electrical, Information and Physics Engineering, School of Engineering, Tohoku University, Aoba-ku, Sendai, 980-8579 Miyagi Japan
| | - Daniel W. Carlson
- Micro/Bio/Nanofluidics Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology, Onna, Kunigami-gun, 904-0495 Okinawa Japan
| | - Amy Q. Shen
- Micro/Bio/Nanofluidics Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology, Onna, Kunigami-gun, 904-0495 Okinawa Japan
| | - Yuanyuan Guo
- Frontier Research Institute for Interdisciplinary Sciences (FRIS), Tohoku University, Aoba-ku, Sendai, 980-0845 Miyagi Japan
- Graduate School of Biomedical Engineering, Tohoku University, Aoba-ku, Sendai, 980-8579 Miyagi Japan
- Department of Physiology, Graduate School of Medicine, Tohoku University, Aoba-ku, Sendai, 980-8575 Miyagi Japan
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18
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Xiong J, Liu X, Feng H, Huang H. Inertial migration of spherical and oblate particles in a triangular microchannel. Phys Rev E 2023; 108:065105. [PMID: 38243509 DOI: 10.1103/physreve.108.065105] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2023] [Accepted: 11/16/2023] [Indexed: 01/21/2024]
Abstract
The. inertial migration of both spherical and oblate particles within an equilateral triangular channel is studied numerically. Our study primarily focuses on the effects of fluid inertia, quantified by the Reynolds number (Re) and particle size (β). Our observations reveal two distinct equilibrium positions: the corner equilibrium position (CEP) is situated along the angle bisector near the corner, while the face equilibrium position (FEP) is located on a segment of the line perpendicular from the triangle's center to one of its sides. Spherical particles with varying initial positions predominantly reach the FEP. For oblate particles initially positioned along the angle bisector with a specific orientation, meaning the particle's evolution axis is inside the plane bisecting the angle, they will migrate along the angle bisector to reach the CEP while rotating in the tumbling mode. Conversely, for particles with different initial orientations and positions, they will employ the log-rolling mode to reach the FEP. Notably, we identify a dual-stage particle migration process to the FEP, with trajectories converging to an equilibrium manifold, which bears a resemblance to the cross section of the channel. To further illustrate the transition between FEP and CEP under general initial conditions, except for those along the angle bisector, we construct a phase diagram in the (Re, β) parameter space. This transition is often triggered by the size of larger particles (as the FEP cannot accommodate them) or the influence of inertia for smaller particles. For the FEP, especially for medium- or small-size particles, we notice an initial outward movement of the FEP from the center of the cross section as Re increases, followed by a return towards the center. This behavior results from the interplay of three forces acting on the particle. This research holds potential implications for the design of microfluidic devices, offering insights into the behavior of particles within equilateral triangular channels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junqi Xiong
- Department of Modern Mechanics, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230026, People's Republic of China
| | - Xuechao Liu
- Department of Modern Mechanics, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230026, People's Republic of China
| | - Huiyong Feng
- Department of Modern Mechanics, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230026, People's Republic of China
| | - Haibo Huang
- Department of Modern Mechanics, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230026, People's Republic of China
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19
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Vishwanathan G, Juarez G. Synchronous oscillatory electro-inertial focusing of microparticles. BIOMICROFLUIDICS 2023; 17:064105. [PMID: 38098691 PMCID: PMC10718650 DOI: 10.1063/5.0162368] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2023] [Accepted: 11/22/2023] [Indexed: 12/17/2023]
Abstract
Here, results are presented on the focusing of 1 μ m polystyrene particle suspensions using a synchronous oscillatory pressure-driven flow and oscillatory electric field in a microfluidic device. The effect of the phase difference between the oscillatory fields on the focusing position and focusing efficiency was investigated. The focusing position of negatively charged polystyrene particles could be tuned anywhere between the channel centerline to the channel walls. Similarly, the focusing efficiency could range from 20% up to 90%, depending on the phase difference, for particle Reynolds numbers of order O ( 10 - 4 ) . The migration velocity profile was measured and the peak velocity was found to scale linearly with both the oscillatory pressure-driven flow amplitude and the oscillatory electric field amplitude. Furthermore, the average migration velocity was observed to scale with the cosine of the phase difference between the fields, indicating the coupled non-linear nature of the phenomenon. Last, the peak migration velocity was measured for different particle radii and found to have an inverse relation, where the velocity increased with decreasing particle radius for identical conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giridar Vishwanathan
- Department of Mechanical Science and Engineering, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, USA
| | - Gabriel Juarez
- Department of Mechanical Science and Engineering, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, USA
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20
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Iqbal M, Mukhamedshin A, Lezzar DL, Abhishek K, McLennan AL, Lam FW, Shevkoplyas SS. Recent advances in microfluidic cell separation to enable centrifugation-free, low extracorporeal volume leukapheresis in pediatric patients. BLOOD TRANSFUSION = TRASFUSIONE DEL SANGUE 2023; 21:494-513. [PMID: 37146298 PMCID: PMC10645346 DOI: 10.2450/bloodtransfus.506] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2022] [Accepted: 03/02/2023] [Indexed: 05/07/2023]
Abstract
Leukapheresis is a common extracorporeal procedure for leukodepletion and cellular collection. During the procedure, a patient's blood is passed through an apheresis machine to separate white blood cells (WBCs) from red blood cells (RBCs) and platelets (PLTs), which are then returned to the patient. Although it is well-tolerated by adults and older children, leukapheresis poses a significant risk to neonates and low-weight infants because the extracorporeal volume (ECV) of a typical leukapheresis circuit represents a particularly large fraction of their total blood volume. The reliance of existing apheresis technology on centrifugation for separating blood cells limits the degree to which the circuit ECV could be miniaturized. The rapidly advancing field of microfluidic cell separation holds excellent promise for devices with competitive separation performance and void volumes that are orders of magnitude smaller than their centrifugation-based counterparts. This review discusses recent advancements in the field, focusing on passive separation methods that could potentially be adapted to perform leukapheresis. We first outline the performance requirements that any separation method must meet to replace centrifugation-based methods successfully. We then provide an overview of the passive separation methods that can remove WBCs from whole blood, focusing on the technological advancements made in the last decade. We describe and compare standard performance metrics, including blood dilution requirements, WBC separation efficiency, RBC and PLT loss, and processing throughput, and discuss the potential of each separation method for future use as a high-throughput microfluidic leukapheresis platform. Finally, we outline the primary common challenges that must still be overcome for these novel microfluidic technologies to enable centrifugation-free, low-ECV leukapheresis in the pediatric setting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mubasher Iqbal
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, TX, United States of America
| | - Anton Mukhamedshin
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, TX, United States of America
| | - Dalia L. Lezzar
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, TX, United States of America
| | - Kumar Abhishek
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, TX, United States of America
| | - Alexandra L. McLennan
- Division of Pediatric Critical Care Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States of America
| | - Fong W. Lam
- Division of Pediatric Critical Care Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States of America
| | - Sergey S. Shevkoplyas
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, TX, United States of America
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21
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Torres-Castro K, Acuña-Umaña K, Lesser-Rojas L, Reyes DR. Microfluidic Blood Separation: Key Technologies and Critical Figures of Merit. MICROMACHINES 2023; 14:2117. [PMID: 38004974 PMCID: PMC10672873 DOI: 10.3390/mi14112117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2023] [Revised: 11/01/2023] [Accepted: 11/10/2023] [Indexed: 11/26/2023]
Abstract
Blood is a complex sample comprised mostly of plasma, red blood cells (RBCs), and other cells whose concentrations correlate to physiological or pathological health conditions. There are also many blood-circulating biomarkers, such as circulating tumor cells (CTCs) and various pathogens, that can be used as measurands to diagnose certain diseases. Microfluidic devices are attractive analytical tools for separating blood components in point-of-care (POC) applications. These platforms have the potential advantage of, among other features, being compact and portable. These features can eventually be exploited in clinics and rapid tests performed in households and low-income scenarios. Microfluidic systems have the added benefit of only needing small volumes of blood drawn from patients (from nanoliters to milliliters) while integrating (within the devices) the steps required before detecting analytes. Hence, these systems will reduce the associated costs of purifying blood components of interest (e.g., specific groups of cells or blood biomarkers) for studying and quantifying collected blood fractions. The microfluidic blood separation field has grown since the 2000s, and important advances have been reported in the last few years. Nonetheless, real POC microfluidic blood separation platforms are still elusive. A widespread consensus on what key figures of merit should be reported to assess the quality and yield of these platforms has not been achieved. Knowing what parameters should be reported for microfluidic blood separations will help achieve that consensus and establish a clear road map to promote further commercialization of these devices and attain real POC applications. This review provides an overview of the separation techniques currently used to separate blood components for higher throughput separations (number of cells or particles per minute). We present a summary of the critical parameters that should be considered when designing such devices and the figures of merit that should be explicitly reported when presenting a device's separation capabilities. Ultimately, reporting the relevant figures of merit will benefit this growing community and help pave the road toward commercialization of these microfluidic systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karina Torres-Castro
- Biophysical and Biomedical Measurements Group, National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), 100 Bureau Drive, Gaithersburg, MD 20899, USA;
- Theiss Research, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Katherine Acuña-Umaña
- Medical Devices Master’s Program, Instituto Tecnológico de Costa Rica (ITCR), Cartago 30101, Costa Rica
| | - Leonardo Lesser-Rojas
- Research Center in Atomic, Nuclear and Molecular Sciences (CICANUM), San José 11501, Costa Rica;
- School of Physics, Universidad de Costa Rica (UCR), San José 11501, Costa Rica
| | - Darwin R. Reyes
- Biophysical and Biomedical Measurements Group, National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), 100 Bureau Drive, Gaithersburg, MD 20899, USA;
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22
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Raihan MK, Baghdady M, Dort H, Bentor J, Xuan X. Fluid Elasticity-Enhanced Insulator-Based Dielectrophoresis for Sheath-Free Particle Focusing in Very Dilute Polymer Solutions. Anal Chem 2023; 95:16013-16020. [PMID: 37856245 DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.3c03311] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2023]
Abstract
Focusing particles into a narrow stream is usually a necessary step in microfluidic flow cytometry and particle sorting. We demonstrate that the addition of a small amount of poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) polymer into a buffer solution can reduce by almost 1 order of magnitude the threshold DC electric field for single-line dielectrophoretic focusing of particles in a constricted microchannel. The particle focusing effectiveness of this fluid elasticity-enhanced insulator-based dielectrophoresis (E-iDEP) in very dilute PEO solutions gets enhanced with the increase of the PEO molecular weight and particle size. These two trends are consistent with a theoretical analysis that accounts for the fluid elasticity effects on the electrokinetic and dielectrophoretic particle motions. Surprisingly, the particle-focusing effectiveness of E-iDEP is observed to first increase and then decrease with an increase in the PEO concentration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mahmud Kamal Raihan
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Clemson University, Clemson, South Carolina 29634, United States
| | - Micah Baghdady
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Clemson University, Clemson, South Carolina 29634, United States
| | - Heston Dort
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Clemson University, Clemson, South Carolina 29634, United States
| | - Joseph Bentor
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Clemson University, Clemson, South Carolina 29634, United States
| | - Xiangchun Xuan
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Clemson University, Clemson, South Carolina 29634, United States
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23
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Cai S, Deng Y, Wang Z, Zhu J, Huang C, Du L, Wang C, Yu X, Liu W, Yang C, Wang Z, Wang L, Ma K, Huang R, Zhou X, Zou H, Zhang W, Huang Y, Li Z, Qin T, Xu T, Guo X, Yu Z. Development and clinical validation of a microfluidic-based platform for CTC enrichment and downstream molecular analysis. Front Oncol 2023; 13:1238332. [PMID: 37849806 PMCID: PMC10578963 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2023.1238332] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2023] [Accepted: 08/29/2023] [Indexed: 10/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Although many CTC isolation and detection methods can provide information on cancer cell counts, downstream gene and protein analysis remain incomplete. Therefore, it is crucial to develop a technology that can provide comprehensive information on both the number and profile of CTC. Methods In this study, we developed a novel microfluidics-based CTC separation and enrichment platform that provided detailed information about CTC. Results This platform exhibits exceptional functionality, achieving high rates of CTC recovery (87.1%) and purification (∼4 log depletion of WBCs), as well as accurate detection (95.10%), providing intact and viable CTCs for downstream analysis. This platform enables successful separation and enrichment of CTCs from a 4 mL whole-blood sample within 15 minutes. Additionally, CTC subtypes, selected protein expression levels on the CTC surface, and target mutations in selected genes can be directly analyzed for clinical utility using immunofluorescence and real-time polymerase chain reaction, and the detected PD-L1 expression in CTCs is consistent with immunohistochemical assay results. Conclusion The microfluidic-based CTC enrichment platform and downstream molecular analysis together provide a possible alternative to tissue biopsy for precision cancer management, especially for patients whose tissue biopsies are unavailable.
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Affiliation(s)
- Songhua Cai
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital and Shenzhen Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Shenzhen, China
| | - Youjun Deng
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital and Shenzhen Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Shenzhen, China
| | - Zhe Wang
- Department of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Junyu Zhu
- Institute of Cancer Control, Cancer Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University, Urumqi, China
| | - Chujian Huang
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital and Shenzhen Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Shenzhen, China
| | - Longde Du
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital and Shenzhen Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Shenzhen, China
| | - Chunguang Wang
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital and Shenzhen Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Shenzhen, China
| | - Xiangyang Yu
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital and Shenzhen Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Shenzhen, China
| | - Wenyi Liu
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital and Shenzhen Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Shenzhen, China
| | - Chenglin Yang
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital and Shenzhen Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Shenzhen, China
| | - Zhe Wang
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital and Shenzhen Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Shenzhen, China
| | - Lixu Wang
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital and Shenzhen Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Shenzhen, China
| | - Kai Ma
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital and Shenzhen Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Shenzhen, China
| | - Rui Huang
- Shenzhen Futian Research Institute, City University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen, China
| | - Xiaoyu Zhou
- Department of Medical Affairs, Cellomics (ShenZhen) Limited, Shenzhen, China
| | - Heng Zou
- Department of Medical Affairs, Cellomics (ShenZhen) Limited, Shenzhen, China
| | - Wenchong Zhang
- Department of Medical Affairs, Cellomics (ShenZhen) Limited, Shenzhen, China
| | - Yan Huang
- Department of Medical Affairs, Cellomics (ShenZhen) Limited, Shenzhen, China
| | - Zhi Li
- Department of Medical Affairs, Cellomics (ShenZhen) Limited, Shenzhen, China
| | - Tiaoping Qin
- Department of Medical Affairs, Cellomics (ShenZhen) Limited, Shenzhen, China
| | - Tao Xu
- Department of Medical Affairs, Cellomics (ShenZhen) Limited, Shenzhen, China
| | - Xiaotong Guo
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital and Shenzhen Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Shenzhen, China
| | - Zhentao Yu
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital and Shenzhen Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Shenzhen, China
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24
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Akbari Z, Raoufi MA, Mirjalali S, Aghajanloo B. A review on inertial microfluidic fabrication methods. BIOMICROFLUIDICS 2023; 17:051504. [PMID: 37869745 PMCID: PMC10589053 DOI: 10.1063/5.0163970] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2023] [Accepted: 10/02/2023] [Indexed: 10/24/2023]
Abstract
In recent decades, there has been significant interest in inertial microfluidics due to its high throughput, ease of fabrication, and no need for external forces. The focusing efficiency of inertial microfluidic systems relies entirely on the geometrical features of microchannels because hydrodynamic forces (inertial lift forces and Dean drag forces) are the main driving forces in inertial microfluidic devices. In the past few years, novel microchannel structures have been propounded to improve particle manipulation efficiency. However, the fabrication of these unconventional structures has remained a serious challenge. Although researchers have pushed forward the frontiers of microfabrication technologies, the fabrication techniques employed for inertial microfluidics have not been discussed comprehensively. This review introduces the microfabrication approaches used for creating inertial microchannels, including photolithography, xurography, laser cutting, micromachining, microwire technique, etching, hot embossing, 3D printing, and injection molding. The advantages and disadvantages of these methods have also been discussed. Then, the techniques are reviewed regarding resolution, structures, cost, and materials. This review provides a thorough insight into the manufacturing methods of inertial microchannels, which could be helpful for future studies to improve the harvesting yield and resolution by choosing a proper fabrication technique.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zohreh Akbari
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran
| | | | - Sheyda Mirjalali
- School of Engineering, Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Behrouz Aghajanloo
- School of Engineering, Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
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25
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Witkop EM, Van Wassenbergh S, Heideman PD, Sanderson SL. Biomimetic models of fish gill rakers as lateral displacement arrays for particle separation. BIOINSPIRATION & BIOMIMETICS 2023; 18:056009. [PMID: 37487501 DOI: 10.1088/1748-3190/acea0e] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2023] [Accepted: 07/24/2023] [Indexed: 07/26/2023]
Abstract
Ram suspension-feeding fish, such as herring, use gill rakers to separate small food particles from large water volumes while swimming forward with an open mouth. The fish gill raker function was tested using 3D-printed conical models and computational fluid dynamics simulations over a range of slot aspect ratios. Our hypothesis predicting the exit of particles based on mass flow rates, dividing streamlines (i.e. stagnation streamlines) at the slots between gill rakers, and particle size was supported by the results of experiments with physical models in a recirculating flume. Particle movement in suspension-feeding fish gill raker models was consistent with the physical principles of lateral displacement arrays ('bump arrays') for microfluidic and mesofluidic separation of particles by size. Although the particles were smaller than the slots between the rakers, the particles skipped over the vortical region that was generated downstream from each raker. The particles 'bumped' on anterior raker surfaces during posterior transport. Experiments in a recirculating flume demonstrate that the shortest distance between the dividing streamline and the raker surface preceding the slot predicts the maximum radius of a particle that will exit the model by passing through the slot. This theoretical maximum radius is analogous to the critical separation radius identified with reference to the stagnation streamlines in microfluidic and mesofluidic devices that use deterministic lateral displacement and sieve-based lateral displacement. These conclusions provide new perspectives and metrics for analyzing cross-flow and cross-step filtration in fish with applications to filtration engineering.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erin M Witkop
- Department of Biology, William and Mary, 540 Landrum Dr, Williamsburg, VA 23185, United States of America
| | - Sam Van Wassenbergh
- Departement Biologie, Universiteit Antwerpen, Universiteitsplein 1, B-2610 Antwerpen, Belgium
| | - Paul D Heideman
- Department of Biology, William and Mary, 540 Landrum Dr, Williamsburg, VA 23185, United States of America
| | - S Laurie Sanderson
- Department of Biology, William and Mary, 540 Landrum Dr, Williamsburg, VA 23185, United States of America
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26
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Ebrahimi S, Alishiri M, Pishbin E, Afjoul H, Shamloo A. A curved expansion-contraction microfluidic structure for inertial based separation of circulating tumor cells from blood samples. J Chromatogr A 2023; 1705:464200. [PMID: 37429078 DOI: 10.1016/j.chroma.2023.464200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2023] [Revised: 06/27/2023] [Accepted: 07/04/2023] [Indexed: 07/12/2023]
Abstract
The rare presence of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) in the bloodstream has made their recording and separation one of the major challenges in the recent decade. Inertia-based microfluidic systems have received more attention in CTCs separation due to their feasibility and low cost. In this research, an inertial microfluidic system is proposed using a curved expansion-contraction array (CEA) microchannel to separate CTCs from white blood cells (WBCs). First, the optimal flow rate of the proposed microfluidic device was determined to maximize the separation efficiency of the target cells (CTCs) from the non-target ones (WBCs). Then, the efficiency and purity of the straight and curved-CEA microchannels were assessed. The experimental results indiated that the proposed system (curved-CEA microchannel) can offer the highest efficiency (-80.31%) and purity (-91.32%) at the flow rate of -7.5 ml/min, exhibiting ∼11.48% increment in the efficiency compared to its straight peer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sina Ebrahimi
- Nano-Bioengineering Lab, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Sharif University of Technology, Azadi Ave., Tehran 11365-11155, Iran; Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine Institute, Sharif University of Technology, Tehran 11155-9161, Iran
| | - Mojgan Alishiri
- Nano-Bioengineering Lab, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Sharif University of Technology, Azadi Ave., Tehran 11365-11155, Iran
| | - Esmail Pishbin
- Nano-Bioengineering Lab, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Sharif University of Technology, Azadi Ave., Tehran 11365-11155, Iran; Bio-microfluidics lab, Department of Electrical Engineering and Information Technology, Iranian Research Organization for Science and Technology, Tehran, Iran
| | - Homa Afjoul
- Nano-Bioengineering Lab, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Sharif University of Technology, Azadi Ave., Tehran 11365-11155, Iran; Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine Institute, Sharif University of Technology, Tehran 11155-9161, Iran
| | - Amir Shamloo
- Nano-Bioengineering Lab, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Sharif University of Technology, Azadi Ave., Tehran 11365-11155, Iran; Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine Institute, Sharif University of Technology, Tehran 11155-9161, Iran.
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27
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Shaik MR, Sagar PR, Shaik NA, Randhawa N. Liquid Biopsy in Hepatocellular Carcinoma: The Significance of Circulating Tumor Cells in Diagnosis, Prognosis, and Treatment Monitoring. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:10644. [PMID: 37445822 DOI: 10.3390/ijms241310644] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2023] [Revised: 06/17/2023] [Accepted: 06/19/2023] [Indexed: 07/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is an aggressive malignancy with poor outcomes when diagnosed at an advanced stage. Current curative treatments are most effective in early-stage HCC, highlighting the importance of early diagnosis and intervention. However, existing diagnostic methods, such as radiological imaging, alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) testing, and biopsy, have limitations that hinder early diagnosis. AFP elevation is absent in a significant portion of tumors, and imaging may have low sensitivity for smaller tumors or in the presence of cirrhosis. Additionally, as our understanding of the molecular pathogenesis of HCC grows, there is an increasing need for molecular information about the tumors. Biopsy, although informative, is invasive and may not always be feasible depending on tumor location. In this context, liquid biopsy technology has emerged as a promising approach for early diagnosis, enabling molecular characterization and genetic profiling of tumors. This technique involves analyzing circulating tumor cells (CTCs), circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA), or tumor-derived exosomes. CTCs are cancer cells shed from the primary tumor or metastatic sites and circulate in the bloodstream. Their presence not only allows for early detection but also provides insights into tumor metastasis and recurrence. By detecting CTCs in peripheral blood, real-time tumor-related information at the DNA, RNA, and protein levels can be obtained. This article provides an overview of CTCs and explores their clinical significance for early detection, prognosis, treatment selection, and monitoring treatment response in HCC, citing relevant literature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammed Rifat Shaik
- Department of Medicine, University of Maryland Medical Center Midtown Campus, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA
| | - Prem Raj Sagar
- Department of Medicine, University of Maryland Medical Center Midtown Campus, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA
| | - Nishat Anjum Shaik
- Department of Medicine, University of Maryland Medical Center Midtown Campus, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA
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28
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Gao H, Zhou J, Naderi MM, Peng Z, Papautsky I. Evolution of focused streams for viscoelastic flow in spiral microchannels. MICROSYSTEMS & NANOENGINEERING 2023; 9:73. [PMID: 37288322 PMCID: PMC10241945 DOI: 10.1038/s41378-023-00520-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2022] [Revised: 03/05/2023] [Accepted: 03/13/2023] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Particle migration dynamics in viscoelastic fluids in spiral channels have attracted interest in recent years due to potential applications in the 3D focusing and label-free sorting of particles and cells. Despite a number of recent studies, the underlying mechanism of Dean-coupled elasto-inertial migration in spiral microchannels is not fully understood. In this work, for the first time, we experimentally demonstrate the evolution of particle focusing behavior along a channel downstream length at a high blockage ratio. We found that flow rate, device curvature, and medium viscosity play important roles in particle lateral migration. Our results illustrate the full focusing pattern along the downstream channel length, with side-view imaging yielding observations on the vertical migration of focused streams. Ultimately, we anticipate that these results will offer a useful guide for elasto-inertial microfluidics device design to improve the efficiency of 3D focusing in cell sorting and cytometry applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hua Gao
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Illinois Chicago, Chicago, IL 60607 USA
| | - Jian Zhou
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Illinois Chicago, Chicago, IL 60607 USA
| | - Mohammad Moein Naderi
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Illinois Chicago, Chicago, IL 60607 USA
| | - Zhangli Peng
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Illinois Chicago, Chicago, IL 60607 USA
| | - Ian Papautsky
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Illinois Chicago, Chicago, IL 60607 USA
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29
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Farahinia A, Zhang W, Badea I. Recent Developments in Inertial and Centrifugal Microfluidic Systems along with the Involved Forces for Cancer Cell Separation: A Review. SENSORS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2023; 23:s23115300. [PMID: 37300027 DOI: 10.3390/s23115300] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2023] [Revised: 04/23/2023] [Accepted: 05/17/2023] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
The treatment of cancers is a significant challenge in the healthcare context today. Spreading circulating tumor cells (CTCs) throughout the body will eventually lead to cancer metastasis and produce new tumors near the healthy tissues. Therefore, separating these invading cells and extracting cues from them is extremely important for determining the rate of cancer progression inside the body and for the development of individualized treatments, especially at the beginning of the metastasis process. The continuous and fast separation of CTCs has recently been achieved using numerous separation techniques, some of which involve multiple high-level operational protocols. Although a simple blood test can detect the presence of CTCs in the blood circulation system, the detection is still restricted due to the scarcity and heterogeneity of CTCs. The development of more reliable and effective techniques is thus highly desired. The technology of microfluidic devices is promising among many other bio-chemical and bio-physical technologies. This paper reviews recent developments in the two types of microfluidic devices, which are based on the size and/or density of cells, for separating cancer cells. The goal of this review is to identify knowledge or technology gaps and to suggest future works.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alireza Farahinia
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK S7N 5A9, Canada
| | - Wenjun Zhang
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK S7N 5A9, Canada
| | - Ildiko Badea
- College of Pharmacy and Nutrition, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK S7N 5E5, Canada
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30
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Kumar T, Harish AV, Etcheverry S, Margulis W, Laurell F, Russom A. Lab-in-a-fiber-based integrated particle separation and counting. LAB ON A CHIP 2023; 23:2286-2293. [PMID: 37070926 DOI: 10.1039/d2lc01175a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
An all-fiber integrated device capable of separating and counting particles is presented. A sequence of silica fiber capillaries with various diameters and longitudinal cavities are used to fabricate the component for size-based elasto-inertial passive separation of particles followed by detection in an uninterrupted continuous flow. Experimentally, fluorescent particles of 1 μm and 10 μm sizes are mixed in a visco-elastic fluid and fed into the all-fiber separation component. The particles are sheathed by an elasticity enhancer (PEO - polyethylene oxide) to the side walls. Larger 10 μm particles migrate to the center of the silica capillary due to the combined inertial lift force and elastic force, while the smaller 1 μm particles are unaffected, and exit from a side capillary. A separation efficiency of 100% for the 10 μm and 97% for the 1 μm particles is achieved at a total flow rate of 50 μL min-1. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first time effective inertial-based separation has been demonstrated in circular cross-section microchannels. In the following step, the separated 10 μm particles are routed through another all-fiber component for counting and a counting throughput of ∼1400 particles per min is demonstrated. We anticipate the ability to combine high throughput separation and precise 3D control of particle position for ease of counting will aid in the development of advanced microflow cytometers capable of particle separation and quantification for various biomedical applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- T Kumar
- Division of Nanobiotechnology, Department of Protein Science, Science for life laboratory, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Solna, Sweden.
| | - A V Harish
- Laser Physics, Department of Applied Physics, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - S Etcheverry
- Research Institutes of Sweden (RISE), Stockholm, Sweden
| | - W Margulis
- Research Institutes of Sweden (RISE), Stockholm, Sweden
| | - F Laurell
- Laser Physics, Department of Applied Physics, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - A Russom
- Division of Nanobiotechnology, Department of Protein Science, Science for life laboratory, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Solna, Sweden.
- AIMES - Center for the Advancement of Integrated Medical and Engineering Sciences at Karolinska Institutet and KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden
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31
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Zhou J, Vorobyeva A, Luan Q, Papautsky I. Single Cell Analysis of Inertial Migration by Circulating Tumor Cells and Clusters. MICROMACHINES 2023; 14:787. [PMID: 37421020 DOI: 10.3390/mi14040787] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2023] [Revised: 03/23/2023] [Accepted: 03/27/2023] [Indexed: 07/09/2023]
Abstract
Single-cell analysis provides a wealth of information regarding the molecular landscape of the tumor cells responding to extracellular stimulations, which has greatly advanced the research in cancer biology. In this work, we adapt such a concept for the analysis of inertial migration of cells and clusters, which is promising for cancer liquid biopsy, by isolation and detection of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) and CTC clusters. Using high-speed camera tracking live individual tumor cells and cell clusters, the behavior of inertial migration was profiled in unprecedented detail. We found that inertial migration is heterogeneous spatially, depending on the initial cross-sectional location. The lateral migration velocity peaks at about 25% of the channel width away from the sidewalls for both single cells and clusters. More importantly, while the doublets of the cell clusters migrate significantly faster than single cells (~two times faster), cell triplets unexpectedly have similar migration velocities to doublets, which seemingly disagrees with the size-dependent nature of inertial migration. Further analysis indicates that the cluster shape or format (for example, triplets can be in string format or triangle format) plays a significant role in the migration of more complex cell clusters. We found that the migration velocity of a string triplet is statistically comparable to that of a single cell while the triangle triplets can migrate slightly faster than doublets, suggesting that size-based sorting of cells and clusters can be challenging depending on the cluster format. Undoubtedly, these new findings need to be considered in the translation of inertial microfluidic technology for CTC cluster detection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jian Zhou
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Illinois Chicago, Chicago, IL 60607, USA
- UI Cancer Center, University of Illinois Chicago, Chicago, IL 60607, USA
| | - Alexandra Vorobyeva
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Illinois Chicago, Chicago, IL 60607, USA
| | - Qiyue Luan
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Illinois Chicago, Chicago, IL 60607, USA
| | - Ian Papautsky
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Illinois Chicago, Chicago, IL 60607, USA
- UI Cancer Center, University of Illinois Chicago, Chicago, IL 60607, USA
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32
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Lim H, Kim JY, Choo S, Lee C, Han BJ, Lim CS, Nam J. Separation and Washing of Candida Cells from White Blood Cells Using Viscoelastic Microfluidics. MICROMACHINES 2023; 14:712. [PMID: 37420947 DOI: 10.3390/mi14040712] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2023] [Revised: 03/16/2023] [Accepted: 03/22/2023] [Indexed: 07/09/2023]
Abstract
An early and accurate diagnosis of Candida albicans is critical for the rapid antifungal treatment of candidemia, a mortal bloodstream infection. This study demonstrates viscoelastic microfluidic techniques for continuous separation, concentration, and subsequent washing of Candida cells in the blood. The total sample preparation system contains two-step microfluidic devices: a closed-loop separation and concentration device and a co-flow cell-washing device. To determine the flow conditions of the closed-loop device, such as the flow rate factor, a mixture of 4 and 13 μm particles was used. Candida cells were successfully separated from the white blood cells (WBCs) and concentrated by 74.6-fold in the sample reservoir of the closed-loop system at 800 μL/min with a flow rate factor of 3.3. In addition, the collected Candida cells were washed with washing buffer (deionized water) in the microchannels with an aspect ratio of 2 at a total flow rate of 100 μL/min. Finally, Candida cells at extremely low concentrations (Ct > 35) became detectable after the removal of WBCs, the additional buffer solution in the closed-loop system (Ct = 30.3 ± 1.3), and further removal of blood lysate and washing (Ct = 23.3 ± 1.6).
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Affiliation(s)
- Hyunjung Lim
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Korea University, Seoul 02841, Republic of Korea
| | - Jae Young Kim
- Research Institute for Skin Image, Korea University College of Medicine, Seoul 08308, Republic of Korea
- Core Research & Development Center, Korea University Ansan Hospital, Ansan 15355, Republic of Korea
| | - Seunghee Choo
- College of Life Sciences and Bio Engineering, Incheon National University, Incheon 22012, Republic of Korea
| | - Changseok Lee
- Department of AI Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Incheon Jaeneung University, Incheon 22573, Republic of Korea
| | - Byoung Joe Han
- Department of AI Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Incheon Jaeneung University, Incheon 22573, Republic of Korea
| | - Chae Seung Lim
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, College of Medicine, Korea University, Seoul 08307, Republic of Korea
| | - Jeonghun Nam
- Department of AI Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Incheon Jaeneung University, Incheon 22573, Republic of Korea
- Artificial Intelligence(AI)-Bio Research Center, Incheon Jaeneung University, Incheon 21987, Republic of Korea
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33
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Lu N, Tay HM, Petchakup C, He L, Gong L, Maw KK, Leong SY, Lok WW, Ong HB, Guo R, Li KHH, Hou HW. Label-free microfluidic cell sorting and detection for rapid blood analysis. LAB ON A CHIP 2023; 23:1226-1257. [PMID: 36655549 DOI: 10.1039/d2lc00904h] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Blood tests are considered as standard clinical procedures to screen for markers of diseases and health conditions. However, the complex cellular background (>99.9% RBCs) and biomolecular composition often pose significant technical challenges for accurate blood analysis. An emerging approach for point-of-care blood diagnostics is utilizing "label-free" microfluidic technologies that rely on intrinsic cell properties for blood fractionation and disease detection without any antibody binding. A growing body of clinical evidence has also reported that cellular dysfunction and their biophysical phenotypes are complementary to standard hematoanalyzer analysis (complete blood count) and can provide a more comprehensive health profiling. In this review, we will summarize recent advances in microfluidic label-free separation of different blood cell components including circulating tumor cells, leukocytes, platelets and nanoscale extracellular vesicles. Label-free single cell analysis of intrinsic cell morphology, spectrochemical properties, dielectric parameters and biophysical characteristics as novel blood-based biomarkers will also be presented. Next, we will highlight research efforts that combine label-free microfluidics with machine learning approaches to enhance detection sensitivity and specificity in clinical studies, as well as innovative microfluidic solutions which are capable of fully integrated and label-free blood cell sorting and analysis. Lastly, we will envisage the current challenges and future outlook of label-free microfluidics platforms for high throughput multi-dimensional blood cell analysis to identify non-traditional circulating biomarkers for clinical diagnostics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nan Lu
- School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, 50 Nanyang Avenue, Blk N3, Level 2, Room 86 (N3-02c-86), 639798, Singapore.
- HP-NTU Digital Manufacturing Corporate Lab, Nanyang Technological University, 65 Nanyang Drive, Block N3, 637460, Singapore
| | - Hui Min Tay
- School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, 50 Nanyang Avenue, Blk N3, Level 2, Room 86 (N3-02c-86), 639798, Singapore.
| | - Chayakorn Petchakup
- School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, 50 Nanyang Avenue, Blk N3, Level 2, Room 86 (N3-02c-86), 639798, Singapore.
| | - Linwei He
- School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, 50 Nanyang Avenue, Blk N3, Level 2, Room 86 (N3-02c-86), 639798, Singapore.
| | - Lingyan Gong
- School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, 50 Nanyang Avenue, Blk N3, Level 2, Room 86 (N3-02c-86), 639798, Singapore.
| | - Kay Khine Maw
- School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, 50 Nanyang Avenue, Blk N3, Level 2, Room 86 (N3-02c-86), 639798, Singapore.
| | - Sheng Yuan Leong
- School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, 50 Nanyang Avenue, Blk N3, Level 2, Room 86 (N3-02c-86), 639798, Singapore.
| | - Wan Wei Lok
- School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, 50 Nanyang Avenue, Blk N3, Level 2, Room 86 (N3-02c-86), 639798, Singapore.
| | - Hong Boon Ong
- School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, 50 Nanyang Avenue, Blk N3, Level 2, Room 86 (N3-02c-86), 639798, Singapore.
| | - Ruya Guo
- Key Laboratory of Agricultural Information Acquisition Technology, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100083, China
| | - King Ho Holden Li
- School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, 50 Nanyang Avenue, Blk N3, Level 2, Room 86 (N3-02c-86), 639798, Singapore.
- HP-NTU Digital Manufacturing Corporate Lab, Nanyang Technological University, 65 Nanyang Drive, Block N3, 637460, Singapore
| | - Han Wei Hou
- School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, 50 Nanyang Avenue, Blk N3, Level 2, Room 86 (N3-02c-86), 639798, Singapore.
- HP-NTU Digital Manufacturing Corporate Lab, Nanyang Technological University, 65 Nanyang Drive, Block N3, 637460, Singapore
- Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Nanyang Technological University, 11 Mandalay Road, Clinical Sciences Building, 308232, Singapore
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34
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High-throughput isolation of cancer cells in spiral microchannel by changing the direction, magnitude and location of the maximum velocity. Sci Rep 2023; 13:3213. [PMID: 36828913 PMCID: PMC9958115 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-30275-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2022] [Accepted: 02/20/2023] [Indexed: 02/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) are scarce cancer cells that rarely spread from primary or metastatic tumors inside the patient's bloodstream. Determining the genetic characteristics of these paranormal cells provides significant data to guide cancer staging and treatment. Cell focusing using microfluidic chips has been implemented as an effective method for enriching CTCs. The distinct equilibrium positions of particles with different diameters across the microchannel width in the simulation showed that it was possible to isolate and concentrate breast cancer cells (BCCs) from WBCs at a moderate Reynolds number. Therefore we demonstrate high throughput isolation of BCCs using a passive, size-based, label-free microfluidic method based on hydrodynamic forces by an unconventional (combination of long loops and U-turn) spiral microfluidic device for isolating both CTCs and WBCs with high efficiency and purity (more than 90%) at a flow rate about 1.7 mL/min, which has a high throughput compared to similar ones. At this golden flow rate, up to 92% of CTCs were separated from the cell suspension. Its rapid processing time, simplicity, and potential ability to collect CTCs from large volumes of patient blood allow the practical use of this method in many applications.
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35
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de Timary G, Rousseau CJ, Van Melderen L, Scheid B. Shear-enhanced sorting of ovoid and filamentous bacterial cells using pinch flow fractionation. LAB ON A CHIP 2023; 23:659-670. [PMID: 36562423 DOI: 10.1039/d2lc00969b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
In this paper, we experimentally investigate the influence of the flow rate on the trajectory of ovoid and filamentous bacterial cells of E. coli in a low aspect ratio pinch flow fractionation device. To that aim, we vary the Reynolds number over two orders of magnitude, while monitoring the dynamics of the cells across our device. At low flow rates, filamentous cells adopt several rotational motions in the pinched segment, which are induced both by the shear rate and by their close interactions with the nearest wall. As a result, the geometrical centre of the filamentous cells deviates towards the centre of the channel, which increases their effective sorting diameter depending on the length of their major axis as well as on the rotational mode they adopt in the pinch. As the flow rate increases, particles are forced to align vertically in the pinch, in the direction of the main shear gradient, which reduces the amplitude of the lateral deviation generated by their rotation. The trajectory of the particles in the expansion is directly determined by their position at the pinch outlet. As a consequence, the position of the filamentous cells at the outlet of the device strongly depends on the flow rate as well as on the length of their major axis. Based on these observations we optimized the flow conditions to successfully extract an ultra high purity sample of filamentous cells from a solution containing mainly ovoid cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guillaume de Timary
- Transfers, Interfaces and Processes (TIPs) - ULB, C.P. 165/67, Brussels, Belgium.
| | | | | | - Benoit Scheid
- Transfers, Interfaces and Processes (TIPs) - ULB, C.P. 165/67, Brussels, Belgium.
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36
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Thurgood P, Needham S, Pirogova E, Peter K, Baratchi S, Khoshmanesh K. Dynamic Vortex Generation, Pulsed Injection, and Rapid Mixing of Blood Samples in Microfluidics Using the Tube Oscillation Mechanism. Anal Chem 2023; 95:3089-3097. [PMID: 36692453 DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.2c05456] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
Here, we describe the generation of dynamic vortices in micro-scale cavities at low flow rates. The system utilizes a computer-controlled audio speaker to axially oscillate the inlet tube of the microfluidic system at desired frequencies and amplitudes. The oscillation of the tube induces transiently high flow rates in the system, which facilitates the generation of dynamic vortices inside the cavity. The size of the vortices can be modulated by varying the tube oscillation frequency or amplitude. The vortices can be generated in single or serial cavities and in a wide range of cavity sizes. We demonstrate the suitability of the tube oscillation mechanism for the pulsed injection of water-based solutions or whole blood into the cavity. The injection rate can be controlled by the oscillation characteristics of the tube, enabling the injection of liquids at ultralow flow rates. The dynamic vortices facilitate the rapid mixing of the injected liquid with the main flow. The controllability and versatility of this technology allow for the development of programmable inertial microfluidic systems for performing multistep biological assays.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter Thurgood
- School of Engineering, RMIT University, Melbourne, Victoria3001, Australia
| | - Scott Needham
- Leading Technology Group, Camberwell, Victoria3124, Australia
| | - Elena Pirogova
- School of Engineering, RMIT University, Melbourne, Victoria3001, Australia
| | - Karlheinz Peter
- Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute, Melbourne, Victoria3004, Australia.,Department of Cardiometabolic Health, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria3052, Australia
| | - Sara Baratchi
- School of Health & Biomedical Sciences, RMIT University, Bundoora, Victoria3082, Australia
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37
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Sun Z, Qi J, Shen Y, Yang N, Liu S, Wang A, Wang C, Tang J. Collection, nucleic acid release, amplification, and visualization platform for rapid field detection of rice false smut. LAB ON A CHIP 2023; 23:542-552. [PMID: 36647749 DOI: 10.1039/d2lc01166b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Rice false smut (RFS) has brought serious food safety problems to the world. Reliable diagnostic tools are needed for the field detection of RFS. Traditional polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is inefficient due to sample transport and preparation, which cannot adapt to the needs of field detection. Herein, we successfully developed a simple, portable microfluidic test platform to rapidly detect RFS. To simplify the operation, we integrated spore purification, nucleic acid release, and amplification into one chip. A micro air pump was used to separate the spores from the impurities and complete the collection of the spores through the airflow. We rapidly lysed spores and released nucleic acids by the benzyl chloride method. The loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) products could be combined with SYBR Green I to observe the results visually. On-chip sample tests showed that the spore collection efficiency was approximately 78%. By providing on-chip detection results, the chip had 100% specificity and a detection limit of 100 copies/reaction. At the same time, the stability (CV < 5%) and quantitative ability (R2 = 0.989) of the chip were also guaranteed. Through the visual detection of large samples, the on-chip detection results were highly concordant with the classical RT-PCR detection results, and the detection timeliness was greatly enhanced. Compared with RT-PCR, the single-sample detection time was shortened by about twenty minutes. The proposed micro-diagnostic tool did not require any large end-point detection instruments and avoided the complicated operation of nucleic acid extraction. As a result, in the future, our microfluidic chip could be used for rapid and real-time monitoring and early warning of rice false smut spores in rice paddies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zongbao Sun
- Department of Food & Biological Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013, China
| | - Jiahao Qi
- Department of Food & Biological Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013, China
| | - Ye Shen
- Department of Food & Biological Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013, China
| | - Ning Yang
- School of Electrical and Information Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013, China.
| | - Shuhua Liu
- China National Rice Research Institute, Hangzhou 310006, China.
| | - Aiying Wang
- China National Rice Research Institute, Hangzhou 310006, China.
| | - Cilin Wang
- China National Rice Research Institute, Hangzhou 310006, China.
| | - Jian Tang
- China National Rice Research Institute, Hangzhou 310006, China.
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38
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Pan H, Mei D, Xu C, Weng W, Han S, Wang Y. Multifunctional Acoustofluidic Centrifuge Device Using Tri-Symmetrical Design for Particle Enrichment and Separation and Multiphase Microflow Mixing. Sep Purif Technol 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/j.seppur.2023.123215] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
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39
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Kim H, Zhbanov A, Yang S. Microfluidic Systems for Blood and Blood Cell Characterization. BIOSENSORS 2022; 13:13. [PMID: 36671848 PMCID: PMC9856090 DOI: 10.3390/bios13010013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2022] [Revised: 12/16/2022] [Accepted: 12/19/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
A laboratory blood test is vital for assessing a patient's health and disease status. Advances in microfluidic technology have opened the door for on-chip blood analysis. Currently, microfluidic devices can reproduce myriad routine laboratory blood tests. Considerable progress has been made in microfluidic cytometry, blood cell separation, and characterization. Along with the usual clinical parameters, microfluidics makes it possible to determine the physical properties of blood and blood cells. We review recent advances in microfluidic systems for measuring the physical properties and biophysical characteristics of blood and blood cells. Added emphasis is placed on multifunctional platforms that combine several microfluidic technologies for effective cell characterization. The combination of hydrodynamic, optical, electromagnetic, and/or acoustic methods in a microfluidic device facilitates the precise determination of various physical properties of blood and blood cells. We analyzed the physical quantities that are measured by microfluidic devices and the parameters that are determined through these measurements. We discuss unexplored problems and present our perspectives on the long-term challenges and trends associated with the application of microfluidics in clinical laboratories. We expect the characterization of the physical properties of blood and blood cells in a microfluidic environment to be considered a standard blood test in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hojin Kim
- Department of Mechatronics Engineering, Dongseo University, Busan 47011, Republic of Korea
| | - Alexander Zhbanov
- School of Mechanical Engineering, Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology (GIST), Gwangju 61005, Republic of Korea
| | - Sung Yang
- School of Mechanical Engineering, Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology (GIST), Gwangju 61005, Republic of Korea
- Department of Biomedical Science and Engineering, Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology (GIST), Gwangju 61005, Republic of Korea
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40
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Xiang N, Ni Z. Inertial microfluidics: current status, challenges, and future opportunities. LAB ON A CHIP 2022; 22:4792-4804. [PMID: 36263793 DOI: 10.1039/d2lc00722c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Inertial microfluidics uses the hydrodynamic effects induced at finite Reynolds numbers to achieve passive manipulation of particles, cells, or fluids and offers the advantages of high-throughput processing, simple channel geometry, and label-free and external field-free operation. Since its proposal in 2007, inertial microfluidics has attracted increasing interest and is currently widely employed as an important sample preparation protocol for single-cell detection and analysis. Although great success has been achieved in the inertial microfluidics field, its performance and outcome can be further improved. From this perspective, herein, we reviewed the current status, challenges, and opportunities of inertial microfluidics concerning the underlying physical mechanisms, available simulation tools, channel innovation, multistage, multiplexing, or multifunction integration, rapid prototyping, and commercial instrument development. With an improved understanding of the physical mechanisms and the development of novel channels, integration strategies, and commercial instruments, improved inertial microfluidic platforms may represent a new foundation for advancing biomedical research and disease diagnosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nan Xiang
- School of Mechanical Engineering, and Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Design and Manufacture of Micro-Nano Biomedical Instruments, Southeast University, Nanjing, 211189, China.
| | - Zhonghua Ni
- School of Mechanical Engineering, and Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Design and Manufacture of Micro-Nano Biomedical Instruments, Southeast University, Nanjing, 211189, China.
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41
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Naderi MM, Barilla L, Zhou J, Papautsky I, Peng Z. Elasto-Inertial Focusing Mechanisms of Particles in Shear-Thinning Viscoelastic Fluid in Rectangular Microchannels. MICROMACHINES 2022; 13:mi13122131. [PMID: 36557430 PMCID: PMC9781382 DOI: 10.3390/mi13122131] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2022] [Revised: 11/24/2022] [Accepted: 11/26/2022] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
Growth of the microfluidics field has triggered numerous advances in focusing and separating microparticles, with such systems rapidly finding applications in biomedical, chemical, and environmental fields. The use of shear-thinning viscoelastic fluids in microfluidic channels is leading to evolution of elasto-inertial focusing. Herein, we showed that the interplay between the elastic and shear-gradient lift forces, as well as the secondary flow transversal drag force that is caused by the non-zero second normal stress difference, lead to different particle focusing patterns in the elasto-inertial regime. Experiments and 3D simulations were performed to study the effects of flowrate, particle size, and the shear-thinning extent of the fluid on the focusing patterns. The Giesekus constitutive equation was used in the simulations to capture the shear-thinning and viscoelastic behaviors of the solution used in the experiments. At low flowrate, with Weissenberg number Wi ~ O(1), both the elastic force and secondary flow effects push particles towards the channel center. However, at a high flowrate, Wi ~ O(10), the elastic force direction is reversed in the central regions. This remarkable behavior of the elastic force, combined with the enhanced shear-gradient lift at the high flowrate, pushes particles away from the channel center. Additionally, a precise prediction of the focusing position can only be made when the shear-thinning extent of the fluid is correctly estimated in the modeling. The shear-thinning also gives rise to the unique behavior of the inertial forces near the channel walls which is linked with the ‘warped’ velocity profile in such fluids.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Ian Papautsky
- Correspondence: (I.P.); (Z.P.); Tel.: +1-312-413-3800 (I.P.); +1-312-996-7467 (Z.P.)
| | - Zhangli Peng
- Correspondence: (I.P.); (Z.P.); Tel.: +1-312-413-3800 (I.P.); +1-312-996-7467 (Z.P.)
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42
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Xiang N, Ni Z. Portable Battery-Driven Microfluidic Cell Separation Instrument with Multiple Operational Modes. Anal Chem 2022; 94:16813-16820. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.2c03833] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Nan Xiang
- School of Mechanical Engineering, and Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Design and Manufacture of Micro-Nano Biomedical Instruments, Southeast University, Nanjing 211189, China
| | - Zhonghua Ni
- School of Mechanical Engineering, and Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Design and Manufacture of Micro-Nano Biomedical Instruments, Southeast University, Nanjing 211189, China
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43
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Feng H, Patel D, Magda JJ, Geher S, Sigala PA, Gale BK. Multiple-Streams Focusing-Based Cell Separation in High Viscoelasticity Flow. ACS OMEGA 2022; 7:41759-41767. [PMID: 36406492 PMCID: PMC9670260 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.2c06021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2022] [Accepted: 10/25/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Viscoelastic flow has been widely used in microfluidic particle separation processes, in which particles get focused on the channel center in diluted viscoelastic flow. In this paper, the transition from single-stream focusing to multiple-streams focusing (MSF) in high viscoelastic flow is observed, which is applied for cell separation processes. Particle focusing stream bifurcation is caused by the balance between elastic force and viscoelastic secondary flow drag force. The influence of cell physical properties, such as cell dimension, shape, and deformability, on the formation of multiple-streams focusing is studied in detail. Particle separation is realized utilizing different separation criteria. The size-based separation of red (RBC) and white (WBC) blood cells is demonstrated in which cells get focused in different streams based on their dimension difference. Cells with different deformabilities get stretched in the viscoelastic flow, leading to the change of focusing streams, and this property is harnessed to separate red blood cells infected with the malaria parasite, Plasmodium falciparum. The achieved results promote our understanding of particle movement in the high viscoelastic flow and enable new particle manipulation and separation processes for sample treatment in biofluids.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haidong Feng
- Department
of Mechanical Engineering, University of
Utah, Salt Lake
City, Utah84112, United States
- Department
of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts
Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts02139, United States
| | - Dhruv Patel
- Department
of Mechanical Engineering, University of
Utah, Salt Lake
City, Utah84112, United States
| | - Jules J. Magda
- Department
of Chemical Engineering, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah84112, United States
| | - Sage Geher
- Department
of Biochemistry, University of Utah School
of Medicine, Salt Lake City, Utah84112, United States
| | - Paul A. Sigala
- Department
of Biochemistry, University of Utah School
of Medicine, Salt Lake City, Utah84112, United States
| | - Bruce K. Gale
- Department
of Mechanical Engineering, University of
Utah, Salt Lake
City, Utah84112, United States
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44
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Sahin MA, Werner H, Udani S, Di Carlo D, Destgeer G. Flow lithography for structured microparticles: fundamentals, methods and applications. LAB ON A CHIP 2022; 22:4007-4042. [PMID: 35920614 DOI: 10.1039/d2lc00421f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Structured microparticles, with unique shapes, customizable sizes, multiple materials, and spatially-defined chemistries, are leading the way for emerging 'lab on a particle' technologies. These microparticles with engineered designs find applications in multiplexed diagnostics, drug delivery, single-cell secretion assays, single-molecule detection assays, high throughput cytometry, micro-robotics, self-assembly, and tissue engineering. In this article we review state-of-the-art particle manufacturing technologies based on flow-assisted photolithography performed inside microfluidic channels. Important physicochemical concepts are discussed to provide a basis for understanding the fabrication technologies. These photolithography technologies are compared based on the structural as well as compositional complexity of the fabricated particles. Particles are categorized, from 1D to 3D particles, based on the number of dimensions that can be independently controlled during the fabrication process. After discussing the advantages of the individual techniques, important applications of the fabricated particles are reviewed. Lastly, a future perspective is provided with potential directions to improve the throughput of particle fabrication, realize new particle shapes, measure particles in an automated manner, and adopt the 'lab on a particle' technologies to other areas of research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mehmet Akif Sahin
- Control and Manipulation of Microscale Living Objects, Central Institute for Translational Cancer Research (TranslaTUM), Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Technical University of Munich, Einsteinstraße 25, Munich 81675, Germany.
| | - Helen Werner
- Control and Manipulation of Microscale Living Objects, Central Institute for Translational Cancer Research (TranslaTUM), Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Technical University of Munich, Einsteinstraße 25, Munich 81675, Germany.
| | - Shreya Udani
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095, USA.
| | - Dino Di Carlo
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095, USA.
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, California NanoSystems Institute and Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095, USA
| | - Ghulam Destgeer
- Control and Manipulation of Microscale Living Objects, Central Institute for Translational Cancer Research (TranslaTUM), Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Technical University of Munich, Einsteinstraße 25, Munich 81675, Germany.
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45
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Bakhshi MS, Rizwan M, Khan GJ, Duan H, Zhai K. Design of a novel integrated microfluidic chip for continuous separation of circulating tumor cells from peripheral blood cells. Sci Rep 2022; 12:17016. [PMID: 36220844 PMCID: PMC9554048 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-20886-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2022] [Accepted: 09/20/2022] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Cancer is one of the foremost causes of death globally. Late-stage presentation, inaccessible diagnosis, and treatment are common challenges in developed countries. Detection, enumeration of Circulating Tumor Cells (CTC) as early as possible can reportedly lead to more effective treatment. The isolation of CTC at an early stage is challenging due to the low probability of its presence in peripheral blood. In this study, we propose a novel two-stage, label-free, rapid, and continuous CTC separation device based on hydrodynamic inertial focusing and dielectrophoretic separation. The dominance and differential of wall-induced inertial lift force and Dean drag force inside a curved microfluidic channel results in size-based separation of Red Blood Cells (RBC) and platelets (size between 2-4 µm) from CTC and leukocytes (9-12.2 µm). A numerical model was used to investigate the mechanism of hydrodynamic inertial focusing in a curvilinear microchannel. Simulations were done with the RBCs, platelets, CTCs, and leukocytes (four major subtypes) to select the optimized value of the parameters in the proposed design. In first stage, the focusing behavior of microscale cells was studied to sort leukocytes and CTCs from RBCs, and platelets while viable CTCs were separated from leukocytes based on their inherent electrical properties using dielectrophoresis in the second stage. The proposed design of the device was evaluated for CTC separation efficiency using numerical simulations. This study considered the influence of critical factors like aspect ratio, dielectrophoretic force, channel size, flow rate, separation efficiency, and shape on cell separation. Results show that the proposed device yields viable CTC with 99.5% isolation efficiency with a throughput of 12.2 ml/h.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maliha Saleem Bakhshi
- grid.444938.60000 0004 0609 0078Mechatronics and Control Engineering Department, University of Engineering and Technology, Lahore, Pakistan
| | - Mohsin Rizwan
- grid.444938.60000 0004 0609 0078Mechatronics and Control Engineering Department, University of Engineering and Technology, Lahore, Pakistan
| | - Ghulam Jilany Khan
- grid.444936.80000 0004 0608 9608Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Central Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan
| | - Hong Duan
- grid.263761.70000 0001 0198 0694School of Biological and Food Engineering, Engineering Research Center for Development and High Value Utilization of Genuine Medicinal Materials in North Anhui Province, Suzhou University, Suzhou, Anhui 234000 China
| | - Kefeng Zhai
- grid.263761.70000 0001 0198 0694School of Biological and Food Engineering, Engineering Research Center for Development and High Value Utilization of Genuine Medicinal Materials in North Anhui Province, Suzhou University, Suzhou, Anhui 234000 China ,grid.459584.10000 0001 2196 0260Key Laboratory for Chemistry and Molecular Engineering of Medicinal Resources (Guangxi Normal University), Guilin, 541004 People’s Republic of China
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46
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Amani A, Shamloo A, Vatani P, Ebrahimi S. Particles Focusing and Separation by a Novel Inertial Microfluidic Device: Divergent Serpentine Microchannel. Ind Eng Chem Res 2022. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.iecr.2c02451] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Ali Amani
- School of Mechanical Engineering, Sharif University of Technology, Tehran 11365-8639, Iran
| | - Amir Shamloo
- School of Mechanical Engineering, Sharif University of Technology, Tehran 11365-8639, Iran
| | - Pouyan Vatani
- School of Mechanical Engineering, Sharif University of Technology, Tehran 11365-8639, Iran
| | - Sina Ebrahimi
- School of Mechanical Engineering, Sharif University of Technology, Tehran 11365-8639, Iran
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47
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Abstract
Viscous streaming refers to the rectified, steady flows that emerge when a liquid oscillates around an immersed microfeature. Relevant to microfluidics, the resulting local, strong inertial effects allow manipulation of fluid and particles effectively, within short time scales and compact footprints. Nonetheless, practically, viscous streaming has been stymied by a narrow set of achievable flow topologies, limiting scope and application. Here, by moving away from classically employed microfeatures of uniform curvature, we experimentally show how multicurvature designs, computationally obtained, give rise, instead, to rich flow repertoires. The potential utility of these flows is then illustrated in compact, robust, and tunable devices for enhanced manipulation, filtering, and separation of both synthetic and biological particles. Overall, our mixed computational/experimental approach expands the scope of viscous streaming application, with opportunities in manufacturing, environment, health, and medicine, from particle self-assembly to microplastics removal.
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48
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Abstract
The next robotics frontier will be led by biohybrids. Capable biohybrid robots require microfluidics to sustain, improve, and scale the architectural complexity of their core ingredient: biological tissues. Advances in microfluidics have already revolutionized disease modeling and drug development, and are positioned to impact regenerative medicine but have yet to apply to biohybrids. Fusing microfluidics with living materials will improve tissue perfusion and maturation, and enable precise patterning of sensing, processing, and control elements. This perspective suggests future developments in advanced biohybrids.
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49
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Lafzi A, Dabiri S. A numerical lift force analysis on the inertial migration of a deformable droplet in steady and oscillatory microchannel flows. LAB ON A CHIP 2022; 22:3245-3257. [PMID: 35899760 DOI: 10.1039/d2lc00151a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Inertial migration of deformable particles has become appealing in recent years due to its numerous applications in microfluidics and biomedicine. The physics underlying the motion of these particles is contingent upon the presence of lift forces in microchannels. Therefore, in this work, we present a lift force analysis for such migration of a deformable droplet in steady and oscillatory flow regimes and identify the effects of varying Capillary number and oscillation frequency on its dynamics. We then propose an expression that mimics the lift force behavior in oscillatory flows accurately. Finally, we introduce a procedure to derive and predict a simple expression for the steady and averaged oscillatory lift for any given combination of Capillary number and oscillation frequency within a continuous range.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ali Lafzi
- Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907, USA.
| | - Sadegh Dabiri
- Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907, USA.
- School of Mechanical Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907, USA
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Park S, Lee S, Kim HS, Choi HJ, Jeong OC, Lin R, Cho Y, Lee MH. Square microchannel enables to focus and orient ellipsoidal Euglena gracilis cells by two-dimensional acoustic standing wave. Mikrochim Acta 2022; 189:331. [PMID: 35969307 DOI: 10.1007/s00604-022-05439-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2022] [Accepted: 07/31/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Flow cytometry has become an indispensable tool for counting, analyzing, and sorting large cell populations in biological research and medical practice. Unfortunately, it has limitations in the analysis of non-spherically shaped cells due to the variation of their alignment with respect to the flow direction and, hence, the optical interrogation axis, resulting in unreliable cell analysis. Here, we present a simple on-chip acoustofluidic method to fix the orientation of ellipsoidal cells and focus them into a single, aligned stream. Specifically, by generating acoustic standing waves inside a 100 ⋅ 100 µm square-shaped microchannel, we successfully aligned and focused up to 97.7% of a population of Euglena gracilis (an ellipsoidal shaped microalgal species) cells in the center of the microchannel with high precision at a volume rate of 25 to 200 µL min-1. Uniform positioning of ellipsoidal cells is essential for making flow cytometry applicable to the investigation of a greater variety of cell populations and is expected to be beneficial for ecological studies and aquaculture.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sungryul Park
- School of Integrative Engineering, Chung-Ang University, Seoul, 06974, Republic of Korea
| | | | - Hyun Soo Kim
- Department of Electronic Engineering, Kwangwoon University, Seoul, 01897, Republic of Korea
| | - Hong Jin Choi
- Department of Digital Anti-Aging Health Care, Inje University, Gimhae-si, 50834, Republic of Korea
| | - Ok Chan Jeong
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Inje University, Gimhae-si, 50834, Republic of Korea
| | - Ruixian Lin
- School of Integrative Engineering, Chung-Ang University, Seoul, 06974, Republic of Korea
| | - Younghak Cho
- Department of Mechanical Design and Robot Engineering, Seoul National University of Science & Technology, Seoul, 01811, Republic of Korea.
| | - Min-Ho Lee
- School of Integrative Engineering, Chung-Ang University, Seoul, 06974, Republic of Korea.
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